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OpenMarket: Automobiles and Roads

A new study by the Reason Foundation’s Julian Morris and Arthur Wardle finds that the federal government’s Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) program, administered by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), is a highly inefficient method for reducing either motor vehicle greenhouse gas emissions or U.S. oil consumption.

Regarding emissions, Morris and Wardle write:

Using NHTSA’s lowest estimate for the annual cost of implementing the 2017–2025 standards, $5.4 billion, and NHTSA’s maximum estimate for reductions in carbon dioxide emissions over the period 2016–2028, 62 million metric tons/year, CAFE represents an implicit cost of $87 per ton of carbon reduced. That is higher than most estimates of the “social cost of carbon” (SCC)...

Thanks to the federal government, purchasers of electric vehicles are given a $7,500 tax credit. Fortunately, this free handout does not last forever: the tax credit is phased out for companies that have over 200,000 electric cars on the road. Interestingly,...

The Competitive Enterprise Institute is hosting an event later today where a proposal to require all new cars in the United States come outfitted with vehicle-to-vehicle communications (V2V) technology that relies on a protocol called dedicated short-range communications (DSRC) will be discussed. The rule was proposed in mid-January 2017. In response, CEI urged Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao to temporarily suspend the V2V rulemaking and later submitted...

The following is an excerpt from remarks delivered by U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao at CEI’s Annual Dinner & Reception held on June 7, 2017. The theme of the event was "Through the Looking Glass."

Thank you so much. When I was first in Washington, the President of CEI was Fred Smith. And I just saw him over there. I’m going to give a great shout out to Fred Smith. And I’m so excited to meet the new president, Kent Lassman. He is so inspiring. So full of energy. Kent thank you so much for what you so. And also I’m so excited to meet tonight’s awardee Pierre Desrochers.

“At least one top Senate Republican is working with Democrats hoping to safeguard Obama-era fuel economy standards from Trump administration rollbacks.

Senate Democrats—led by Sens. Tom Carper of Delaware and Ed Markey of Massachusetts—have been courting GOP lawmakers in their bid to urge President Trump to preserve the government's fuel economy program for cars, sources told E&E News.

They've gotten the attention of Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), chairman of the Environment and Public Works Committee, who has worked on drafts of the letter.

Employees at Whole Foods Market have expressed concerns over Amazon’s proposed acquisition of the grocery chain. Whole Foods is known for its inclusive decision making, good pay, and benefits. Grocery store employees expressed their fears to Reuters that Amazon’s profit-driven business...